Buckeyes hoops set to tip off

October 30, 2012

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - For the second year in a row, Ohio State has just one senior on its roster.

Save your sympathy, however.

A year ago, with just one fourth-year player, the Buckeyes went all the way to the Final Four before falling to Kansas in the national semifinals.

Article Photos

AP?FILE?PHOTOOhio State forward Deshaun Thomas (1) drives against Syracuse forward Rakeem Christmas (25)in the East Regional final game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, in Boston. Thomas and three guards _ seniors Isaiah Canaan of Murray State and C.J. McCollum of Lehigh and sophomore Trey Burke of Michigan, join Indiana sophomore center Cody Zeller and Creighton junior forward Doug McDermott on The Associated Press' preseason All-America team, announced Monday.

Maybe the term "senior leadership" doesn't apply at Ohio State, where it seems there's annually a huge turnover of top players yet the Buckeyes and coach Thad Matta just keep chugging right along, racking up 20-win seasons, NCAA tournament appearances and Big Ten titles.

Although it'll be hard to replace two-time All-American Jared Sullinger, who left early for the NBA, and senior scorer William Buford (graduation), the Buckeyes always seem to find a way.

"Will and Jared, they are great guys who helped us build a tradition here," returning starter Lenzelle Smith Jr. said. "When they left, the tradition and the legacy is left behind. So we carry that on."

The Buckeyes have reloaded from last year's 31-8 Big Ten regular-season co-championship season and are plotting how to get even better with a team built around the prodigious talents of Deshaun Thomas, Aaron Craft and Smith - along with several players set to step into the spotlight.

"This team is athletic," said Matta, whose last couple of teams have won big despite not been terribly fast or versatile. "I want them to use what they've got there. It correlates back to, hopefully, we're going to be able to score some off of our defense. That's why a major emphasis on the preseason will be getting our defense down."

It's nothing new at Ohio State for a top player, let alone a consensus top-five player in the nation such as Sullinger, to leave and for the next team to be as good if not better. After all, in his eight seasons with the Buckeyes, Matta has lost Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook to the 2007 NBA first round after playing one season, Kosta Koufos a year later, Byron Mullens a year after that and national player of the year Evan Turner, who was the No. 2 pick after his junior season in 2010.

A year after Oden, Conley and Cook went in the first round, the Buckeyes went 24-13 and won the NIT. After losing Koufos, they went 22-11. The season after the departure of Mullens, who like Koufos also left after just one season, Ohio State was 29-8, won the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles and made it to the NCAA's round of 16. Turner left a year early and Matta churned out a 34-3 record, won the conference tournament and regular season title and again went to the regional semifinals.

Matta's message is a simple one to those who are left behind: Don't try to single-handedly make up for who's not around.

Sullinger contributed 17.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and a lion's share of the attention from defenses last year. Buford was good for 14.5 points and was a streaky shooter who ended his career tied for third in scoring at Ohio State with program icon Jerry Lucas.

This year's Buckeyes will be built around the big two of Thomas and Craft - who made up 40 percent of the preseason All-Big Ten choices even though Ohio State was only the No. 3 pick in the league race.

Thomas toyed with jumping to the NBA after averaging 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds a game in Sullinger's shadow last year. Craft, a classmate, is back for his third year running the offense from his point guard spot, where he was selected as the Big Ten's top defender last March. He hit for 8.8 points and 4.6 assists a game. The numbers for both are expected to go up this season.

Thomas was a silent partner last year, not taking an active role in leading the team. But after playing a strong showing in the NCAAs last spring, he learned he had to assert himself more.

"At the end of the season, I knew that I could be a great leader for this team. I am not shy anymore. I'm not afraid of anybody. I can say things to them and talk to them," the 6-7 lefty said.

Smith is a jack of all trades who can hit a 3, shut down anyone from a guard to a power forward on defense and handle the ball.

Craft doesn't believe the Buckeyes lack for weapons.

"Without Jared and Will we have to find ways to score the basketball," Craft said. "We'll just try to take what the defense gives us. We have a lot of guys around us that worked really hard and can knock down a lot of shots."

Matta, who is 221-65 in eight years at Ohio State for a sterling average of 28-8, believes this team is deeper and can do more things than some of the stellar Ohio State teams recently.

The big man will likely be 6-foot-11 Amir Williams, who has added strength and now is a formidable shot-blocker. Lone senior Evan Ravenel and Trey McDonald, both 6-8, are quality backups.

The other starting slot could be filled by either speedy swingman Sam Thompson or intriguing perimeter shooter LaQuinton Ross. Shannon Scott worked on his shot all summer and should be a solid sub behind Craft and Smith.